Today, the Big Ten Conference may choose to issue punishment to Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh or the program/university in general due to the alleged sign-stealing scandal. With massive games against No. 10 Penn State, No. 1 Ohio State, the Big Ten title game, and CFP still on the horizon, ESPN host Paul Finebaum publicly called for the Wolverines’ long-time head coach to be suspended indefinitely today.
Paul Finebaum calls for indefinite suspension of Michigan football coach
Paul Finebaum is a known Michigan football critic; however, he disagrees with fellow ESPN host Stephen A. Smith, who called for Michigan to be banned from the College Football Playoff yesterday. Finebaum thinks that the Wolverines should be allowed in. However, he does not want Jim Harbaugh to coach another game until this is all sorted out — which will likely not be until the end of the season.
“To me, the culprit is the most obvious one, and that’s Jim Harbaugh,” Paul Finebaum said on ESPN’s First Take. “I think Harbaugh should be suspended indefinitely, not allowing him to coach another game and especially the (College Football Playoff) if this investigation continues down the current path. But I feel very strongly that (Michigan football) should not be kept out because otherwise, you’re really getting too far ahead of this process.”
Jim Harbaugh, U-M leadership ready to go to battle depending on Big Ten action on sign-stealing
While Finebaum is not quite as far out as other analysts are — such as Stephen A. Smith, who wants Michigan blocked from the CFP until the investigation is over — he is still one of the only analysts willing to publicly call for Jim Harbaugh to be suspended indefinitely.
Now, to be clear, the Big Ten does not have the power to do that right now, and this action would likely result in legal action from the University of Michigan. Right now, it sounds like U-M leadership is ready to go to war for Jim Harbaugh and their 3rd-ranked Wolverines, so keep a close eye on things as they continue to play out.
As always, Blue by Ninety will have you covered as things continue to unfold.
Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!